JP2005140649A - Dial for timepiece, and electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To illuminate the whole dial brightly, and to secure colorability and decorativeness. <P>SOLUTION: This dial for a timepiece is constituted of a luminescent element 21, a light guide panel 22 for making light from the luminescent element 21 incident from a side face and for guiding it to a face direction to be subjected to surface luminescence, a display panel 23 illuminated with the surface luminescence of the light guide panel 22, and a liquid crystal element 10, and a coloring agent 26 is mixed in the light guide panel 22. The whole of the display panel 23 and the liquid crystal element 10 is brightly illuminated substantially uniformly thereby, since the light from the luminescent element 21 is guided to the face direction by the light guide panel 22, and since the display panel 23 and the liquid crystal element 10 are illuminated by the surface luminescence. The colorability and decorativeness are excellent since the light for the surface luminescence in the light guide panel 22 is colored by the coloring agent 26 mixed in the light guide panel 22, and since the display panel 23 and the liquid crystal element 10 are illuminated by the colored light. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a timepiece dial plate and an electronic device having a light emitting function used for a timepiece such as a wristwatch.

Conventionally, a timepiece dial used for a wristwatch is provided with a flat EL light emitting element (electroluminescence light emitting element), and the EL light emitting element can emit light so that the time can be known even in a dark place. There is what I did.
In order to obtain a decorative effect, this type of timepiece dial has a structure in which a decorative plate having a through hole is arranged on the upper surface of the EL light emitting element and a light transmitting member is provided on the upper surface of the decorative plate. .

However, in such a timepiece dial, a flat EL light emitting element emits surface light, and the light passes through the light transmitting member through the through hole of the decorative plate, thereby the vicinity corresponding to the through hole of the decorative plate. The light transmitting member can be illuminated, but not only the entire decorative plate and light transmitting member, that is, the entire dial plate cannot be illuminated brightly, but also a sufficient decorative effect cannot be obtained. .
JP 2001-99952 A

The problem to be solved by the present invention is that the entire dial cannot be illuminated brightly and a sufficient decorative effect cannot be obtained.
Therefore, the present invention is to provide a timepiece dial and an electronic device that can illuminate the entire screen and obtain a sufficient decorative effect.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes the following components.
In addition, the reference numerals of the drawings attached to the respective elements described in the section of each embodiment described later are attached to the respective constituent elements together with parentheses.
1 to 16, a light source (light emitting element 21) and a light guide plate (22, 31) that emits light from the light source from the side surface and guides the light in the surface direction to emit light. , 41, 51) and a display member (display plates 23, 32, 42, 53 and liquid crystal display element 10) illuminated by the surface emission of the light guide plate, and a colorant (26, 54, 55), which is a timepiece dial (8, 30, 40, 50).

  In the invention according to claim 2, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, the light guide plate (22) is light transmissive in its thickness direction, and is guided in the surface direction on the upper surface of the light guide plate. A large number of linear prisms (25, 27) having reflection surfaces (25a, 27a) for reflecting the reflected light toward the lower surface side of the light guide plate are formed, and the display member (display plate 23 and liquid crystal display element 10) is formed. 2. The timepiece dial (8) according to claim 1, characterized in that is disposed on the lower surface side of the light guide plate.

  In the invention according to claim 3, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the light guide plate (31) is light transmissive in the thickness direction, and a reflective layer (reflector plate 34) is formed on the lower surface of the light guide plate. The timepiece dial plate (30) according to claim 1, wherein the display member (display plate 32) has light permeability and is disposed on an upper surface of the light guide plate. is there.

  In the invention according to claim 4, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the light guide plate (41) has light transmittance in the thickness direction, and a part of the upper surface of the light guide plate has a surface direction thereof. A large number of linear prisms (43) having a reflection surface (43a) for reflecting the light guided to the lower surface side of the light guide plate are formed, and the plurality of prisms are formed on the lower surface of the light guide plate. The display member (the display plate 42 and the liquid crystal display element 10) is disposed on the lower surface side of the light guide plate so as to correspond to the plurality of prisms. A first display panel (liquid crystal display element 10), and a light-transmissive second display panel (display plate 42) disposed on the upper surface of the light guide plate except for portions corresponding to the plurality of prisms. It is characterized by the above-mentioned A watch dial (40).

  As for invention of Claim 5, as shown in FIGS. 14-16, the said coloring agent (54, 55) colors the light which injected into the said light-guide plate (51) into the several color which differs. 5. The timepiece dial (50) according to claim 1, wherein different types of colors are mixed in a plurality of locations of the light guide plate.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 16, the invention described in claim 6 is a light source (light emitting element 21) and a light guide plate (22, 31) that emits light from the light source from the side surface and guides the light in the surface direction to emit light. 41, 51), a display member (display plates 23, 32, 42, 53 and liquid crystal display element 10) illuminated by the surface emission of the light guide plate, and the display member, the light source and the light guide plate are provided. And an electronic device main body (watch case 1, electronic device main body), and a colorant (26, 54, 55) is mixed in the light guide plate.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, light from the light source is incident on the side surface of the light guide plate, the light guide plate guides the incident light in the direction of the surface, and the surface light is emitted to illuminate the display member. Therefore, the entire display member can be illuminated brightly, and since the colorant is mixed in the light guide plate, the light emitted from the surface of the light guide plate can be colored by this colorant, thereby being colored. In addition, since the display member can be illuminated with colored light, it is possible to obtain a material excellent in color and decoration.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the light guided in the surface direction of the light guide plate by the linear prisms formed on the upper surface of the light guide plate is reflected toward the lower surface side of the light guide plate. The light is guided in the surface direction by the light guide plate and can emit surface light toward the lower surface thereof, thereby illuminating the entire display member disposed on the lower surface side of the light guide plate, and the light guide plate Since it has light transmittance in the thickness direction, the light reflected by the display member is transmitted from the lower surface side toward the upper surface side of the light guide plate, thereby illuminating the upper portion of the light guide plate. Therefore, as in the first aspect of the invention, the entire display member can be illuminated almost uniformly and brightly, and the light emitted from the light guide plate is colored by the colorant mixed in the light guide plate. Since the display member can be illuminated with the colored light that has been colored, it is possible to obtain one that is excellent in color and decoration.

  According to invention of Claim 3, since the light-guide plate has a light transmittance in the thickness direction, and the reflective layer is provided in the lower surface of this light-guide plate, the light from a light source is guided with a light-guide plate, The guided light can be reflected by the reflective layer and surface-emitted toward the upper surface side of the light guide plate, thereby illuminating the light-transmissive display member disposed on the upper surface side of the light guide plate. In addition, since the illumination light passes through the display member, the upper surface side of the display member can be illuminated. For this reason, as in the first aspect of the invention, the entire display member can be illuminated brightly, and the surface emitting light is colored by the colorant mixed in the light guide plate. Since the display member can be illuminated with colored light, it is possible to obtain a material excellent in color and decoration.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, since a large number of line-shaped prisms are formed on a part of the upper surface of the light guide plate, the light from the light source is guided by the plurality of prisms in the same manner as in the invention described in claim 2. Since the first display panel arranged on the lower surface side of the light source can be illuminated and the reflective layer is provided on the lower surface of the light guide plate except for the portions corresponding to the many prisms, the same as in the invention according to claim 3 The second display panel having light transmittance disposed on the upper surface side of the light guide plate can be illuminated, and the upper surface side can be illuminated through the second display panel. Therefore, even if the first display panel is arranged on the lower surface side of the light guide plate and the second display panel is arranged on the upper surface side of the light guide plate, both the first and second display panels are illuminated brightly. In addition, it is possible to color the light emitted from the light guide plate by the colorant mixed in the light guide plate, and to illuminate both the first and second display panels with the colored light. A product excellent in color and decoration can be obtained.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the colorant has a plurality of types for coloring the light incident on the light guide plate into different colors, and the different color types are mixed in a plurality of locations of the light guide plate. The light incident on the light guide plate can be colored in different colors at a plurality of locations on the light guide plate. For example, the colorant for green is mixed in the part corresponding to the time character of the display member, and the colorant for red is mixed in the part corresponding to the mark part of the display member symbol or figure in a different place. By doing so, it is possible to emit the light of the location of the time character in the display member in green and to emit the light of the location of the mark portion in red. For this reason, while being able to improve colorability further, decorativeness can also be improved.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the light guide plate causes light from the light source to enter from the side surface, and the light guide plate guides the incident light in the surface direction to emit light, and the display member is illuminated by the surface light emission. Therefore, the entire display member can be illuminated brightly, and since the colorant is mixed in the light guide plate, the light emitted from the surface of the light guide plate can be colored by this colorant, thereby being colored. In addition, since the display member can be illuminated with colored light, it is possible to obtain a material excellent in color and decoration.

(Embodiment 1)
A first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a wristwatch will be described below with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a front view in which a wristwatch of the present invention is partially broken, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line AA.
This wristwatch includes a wristwatch case 1 as shown in FIGS. The wristwatch case 1 has a structure in which first and second bezels 1b and 1c made of synthetic resin are provided on the outer peripheral surface of a metal case main body 1a. A watch glass 2 is attached to the upper part of the watch case 1, and a watch module 3 is accommodated in the watch case 1. A back cover 4 is attached to the lower surface of the watch case 1 via a waterproof ring 5.

  The clock module 3 has both an analog function and a digital function. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the timepiece module 3 includes an upper housing 6 and a lower housing 7, a dial plate 8 is provided on the upper surface of the upper housing 6, and an analog movement 9 and a liquid crystal are provided inside the upper housing 6. A display element 10 is provided, and a circuit board 11 is provided between the upper housing 6 and the lower housing 7. In this case, the circuit board 11 includes various electronic components (not shown) constituting an electronic circuit for electrically driving the analog movement 9, the liquid crystal display element 10, and a light emitting element 21 described later of the dial 8. It is installed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the analog movement 9 has a pointer shaft 12 protruding upward through a through hole 13 of a dial plate 8 disposed on the upper surface of the upper housing 6, and an hour hand, A pointer 14 such as a minute hand is attached, and the pointer 14 is configured to move the dial 8 above the dial 8. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the liquid crystal display element 10 encloses liquid crystal (not shown) between a pair of upper and lower transparent electrode substrates 15, 16, and the upper surface and lower electrode substrates of the upper electrode substrate 15. Each of the polarizing plates 17 and 18 is provided on the lower surface of 16, and the reflection plate 19 is provided on the lower surface of the lower polarizing plate 18.

As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid crystal display element 10 is supported in a state where the end portion of the upper electrode substrate 15 is electrically connected to the circuit substrate 11 by the interconnector 20, and in this state, a pair of upper and lower electrode substrates. By selectively applying a voltage to 15 and 16, information such as time is displayed electro-optically.
On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the dial 8 includes a light emitting element 21 that is a light source, a light guide plate 22 that emits light from the light emitting element 21 from the side surface and guides the light in a surface direction, The display plate 23 is illuminated by the surface light emission of the light guide plate 22, and is disposed on the upper surface of the upper housing 6.

The light emitting element 21 is composed of a light emitting diode (LED) that emits light in the visible light region, and is disposed corresponding to the side surface of the light guide plate 22 located on the 12 o'clock side, as shown in FIGS. The lead wire 21a is electrically connected to the circuit board 11.
The display plate 23 is made of metal or synthetic resin, and is disposed on the lower surface of the light guide plate 22 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. In addition, an opening 24 is provided at a predetermined position of the display plate 23 corresponding to the liquid crystal display element 10, and although not shown in the upper surface of the display plate 23, a time character from 1 o'clock to 12 o'clock is shown. Are provided along the periphery.

  The light guide plate 22 is formed of a transparent material, and transmits light in the thickness direction, that is, in the vertical direction. The light guide plate 22 takes light from the light emitting element 21 from the side surface and guides the light in the surface direction to emit light. It is comprised so that the lower surface side of the light-guide plate 22 may be illuminated. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, a large number of linear prisms 25 are arranged on the upper surface of the light guide plate 22 over the entire upper surface. As shown in FIG. 1, these prisms 25 are provided substantially orthogonal to a diagonal line connecting the light emitting element 21 and the diagonal portion of the light guide plate 22 facing the light emitting element 21, that is, a straight line connecting 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 4, each reflecting surface 25a of the prism 25 is in a linear direction connecting 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock, that is, either one of the 12 o'clock side and the 6 o'clock side. As shown in FIG. 4, the light emitting element 21 is provided toward the 12 o'clock side (right side in the figure). Thereby, the prism 25 is configured to reflect the light incident on the light guide plate 22 from the 12 o'clock side and guided to the 6 o'clock side toward the lower surface side of the light guide plate 22 by the reflection surface 25a. In this case, the prisms 25 are formed such that the arrangement pitch gradually becomes narrower as the distance from the light emitting element 21, that is, the 12 o'clock side, so that the light from the light emitting element 21 is substantially uniform toward the lower surface side of the light guide plate 22. It is configured to radiate.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the light guide plate 22 has a colorant 26 mixed therein. The colorant 26 is made of a pigment that reflects only colored light having a specific wavelength in the visible light region, and there are a plurality of types of pigments such as red, green, and blue. Thereby, in this Embodiment 1, as a coloring agent 26, you may make it obtain a monochromatic colored light using only one type among several types of pigments, and two or more types of pigments may be mixed, and a plurality of types may be obtained. You may make it obtain the colored light of the composite color which combined the color.

  In such a wristwatch, when external light enters the wristwatch case 1 through the watch glass 2 in a bright place, the incident external light is applied to the pointer 14 and the dial plate 8, so that the time is displayed by the dial plate 8 and the pointer 14. Can know. That is, the external light irradiated on the dial plate 8 is transmitted through the light guide plate 22 of the dial plate 8 in the thickness direction and irradiated on the display plate 23, and the irradiated light is reflected by the display plate 23 and guided again. Since the light plate 22 is transmitted from the lower surface side toward the upper surface side, the time by the display plate 23 and the hands 14 of the dial 8 can be visually recognized from the outside of the watch case 1 through the watch glass 2.

  At this time, since the external light is also applied to the opening 24 of the display plate 23, the external light passes through the opening 24 of the display plate 23 as it is and is applied to the liquid crystal display element 10. Can also be illuminated, whereby information such as the time displayed on the liquid crystal display element 10 can be visually recognized. That is, when the liquid crystal display element 10 is irradiated with external light, the external light passes through the upper polarizing plate 17, the pair of upper and lower electrode substrates 15 and 16, and the lower polarizing plate 18 and is reflected by the reflection plate 19. The reflected light passes through the opening 24 and the light guide plate 22 of the display plate 23 again through an optical path opposite to the above, so that information such as the time displayed on the liquid crystal display element 10 through the watch glass 2 is used as the watch case 1. Can be visually recognized from the outside.

  Thus, when the display plate 23 and the liquid crystal display element 10 are illuminated with external light, as shown in FIG. 4, the colorant 26 is mixed in the light guide plate 22. The light transmitted through the top and bottom is colored, whereby the entire light guide plate 22 is surface-emitted with colored light, and the display plate 23 and the liquid crystal display element 10 can be illuminated with this colored light.

  Further, when the light emitting element 21 of the dial 8 is caused to emit light in a dark place, the light of the light emitting element 21 enters the light guide plate 22 from its side surface and is guided in the surface direction, and the guided light is guided to the light guide plate 22. The reflection surface 25a of each prism 25 is reflected toward the lower surface side of the light guide plate 22, whereby the entire light guide plate 22 emits light, and the light emitted from the surface light is emitted to the lower surface side of the light guide plate 22. For this reason, the emitted light can illuminate the display plate 23 disposed below the light guide plate 22, and the liquid crystal display element 10 can be illuminated through the opening 24 of the display plate 23.

  In this case, the light irradiated on the display unit 23 is reflected by the display plate 23 and passes through the light guide plate 22 from the lower surface side to the upper surface side, and the transmitted light moves the pointer 14 that moves the light guide plate 22 upward. Since it is illuminated, the time can be known by the display plate 23 and the hands 14 of the dial 8 even in a dark place. Further, the light irradiated to the liquid crystal display element 10 is incident on the liquid crystal display element 10 as described above, and the incident light is reflected by the reflection plate 19 of the liquid crystal display element 10, and the reflected light is displayed on the liquid crystal display. Since the light is radiated from the upper surface of the element 10 and passes through the opening 24 and the light guide plate 22 of the display plate 23, information such as the time displayed on the liquid crystal display element 10 can be visually recognized even in a dark place.

  At this time, when the light of the light emitting element 21 enters the light guide plate 22 from the side surface and is guided in the surface direction, the colorant 26 mixed in the light guide plate 22 causes the light guide plate 22 to emit light as shown in FIG. Since the light guided in the surface direction is colored, and the entire light guide plate 22 is surface-emitted with colored light, the display plate 23 and the liquid crystal display element 10 can be illuminated with the colored light that is surface-emitted.

  Thus, according to this wristwatch, the light of the light emitting element 21 enters the light guide plate 22 from the side surface, the incident light is guided in the surface direction by the light guide plate 22, and the guided light is guided to the light guide plate. The plurality of prisms 25 are reflected toward the lower surface side of the light guide plate 22 to cause the light guide plate 22 to emit light, and the display plate 23 and the liquid crystal disposed below the light guide plate 22 by the surface light emission of the light guide plate 22. Since the display element 10 is illuminated, both the display panel 23 and the liquid crystal display element 10 can be illuminated brightly even in a dark place, and thus the time can be known well. Further, the light emitted from the light guide plate 22 can be colored by the colorant 26 mixed in the light guide plate 22, and the display plate 23 and the liquid crystal display element 10 can be illuminated by the colored light thus colored. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a product excellent in color and decoration.

  In this case, in particular, since the arrangement pitch of the prisms 25 of the light guide plate 22 is gradually narrowed as the distance from the light emitting element 21 is increased, the light guided by the light guide plate 22 is substantially uniform toward the lower surface side of the light guide plate 22. The entire light guide plate 22 can emit light with substantially uniform brightness. Further, in the dial plate 8, the display plate 23 is disposed on the lower surface side of the light guide plate 22, and in this state, the display plate 23 is illuminated from the upper surface side by the light guide plate 22, so that the display plate 23 is restricted by the material. In addition, as the material of the display panel 23, a free material such as a light transmissive material or a non-light transmissive material can be used. In particular, if a metal material is used, a metallic decoration effect can be obtained. Therefore, a product with even higher decorativeness can be obtained.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a second embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a wristwatch will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and demonstrated to the same part as Embodiment 1 shown by FIGS. 1-4.
This wristwatch has a structure in which a prism 27 having a direction different from that of the first embodiment is provided on the entire upper surface of the light guide plate 22 of the dial 8 and a side reflecting portion 28 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the light guide plate 22. 1 is almost the same structure.

  That is, the prism 27 of the light guide plate 22 is formed substantially orthogonal to a diagonal line connecting the light emitting element 12 and a diagonal portion of the light guide plate 22 facing the light emitting element 12, that is, a straight line connecting 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock. As shown in FIG. 7, the reflecting surface 27a of the prism 27 is provided on the side opposite to the light emitting element 12, that is, toward the 6 o'clock side (left side in the figure). Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the side reflecting portion 28 of the light guide plate 22 has a side surface on the 6 o'clock side of the light guide plate 22, for example, a light guide plate 22 at a location from 4 o'clock to 6 o'clock to 8 o'clock. It is provided on the side. The prism 27 is configured so that the arrangement pitch gradually becomes narrower as the distance from the side reflector 28, that is, the 6 o'clock side increases.

  In such a wristwatch, when light from the light emitting element 21 enters the light guide plate 22 and is guided in the surface direction, the light is guided through the light guide plate 22 in the surface direction without being substantially reflected by the reflecting surface 27a of the prism 27. The guided light reaches the side surface of the light guide plate 22 and is reflected by the side reflecting portion 28 of the light guide plate 22, and the reflected light is again guided in the surface direction by the light guide plate 22, and at this time, the reflection of the prism 27 The light is reflected toward the lower surface side of the light guide plate 22 by the surface 27a. For this reason, also in the second embodiment, the entire light guide plate 22 emits light, and the display plate 23 and the liquid crystal display element 10 disposed on the lower surface side thereof can be illuminated almost uniformly. In addition, the light leakage from the side surface of the light guide plate 22 can be reduced, so that the light from the light emitting element 21 can be efficiently irradiated to the display plate 23 and the liquid crystal display element 10 by the light guide plate 22. be able to.

(Embodiment 3)
Next, a third embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a wristwatch will be described with reference to FIGS. Also in this case, the same portions as those in the first embodiment shown in FIGS.
In this watch, the timepiece module 3 and the dial plate 30 of the timepiece module 3 have a structure different from that of the first embodiment, and the other structure is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. That is, the timepiece module 3 has a structure having only an analog function in the upper housing 6 as shown in FIG. The dial 30 is disposed on the light emitting element 21 that is a light source, a light guide plate 31 that emits light from the light emitting element 21 from a side surface and guides the light in a surface direction to emit light, and an upper surface of the light guide plate 31. And a display plate 32 that is illuminated by surface light emission of the light guide plate 31, and is disposed on the upper surface of the upper housing 6.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the display plate 32 is formed of a transparent material and disposed on the upper surface of the light guide plate 31. As shown in FIG. 4, a time character 33 corresponding to 1 o'clock to 12 o'clock is provided. The light guide plate 31 is formed of a transparent material, and a reflection plate 34 that diffuses and reflects light is provided on the lower surface of the light guide plate 31, thereby diffusing the external light transmitted from the upper surface side to the lower surface side in the thickness direction. In addition to being reflected, the light from the light emitting element 21 is taken in from the side surface and guided in the surface direction, and the guided light is sequentially diffused and reflected by the reflection plate 34 to emit surface light, and is arranged on the upper surface of the light guide plate 31 by this surface light emission. The display panel 32 is illuminated.

  Also in this case, the light guide plate 31 has the colorant 26 mixed therein as in the first embodiment. The colorant 26 is also made of a pigment that reflects only colored light having a specific wavelength in the visible light region, and there are a plurality of types of pigments such as red, green, and blue. For this reason, the light guide plate 31 may also be a colorant 26 that emits monochromatic colored light using only one of a plurality of types of pigments, and a mixture of two or more types of pigments. It is also possible to emit compound colored light combining these colors.

  In such a wristwatch, when external light is incident on the wristwatch case 1 through the watch glass 2 in a bright place, the incident external light is applied to the pointer 14 and the dial 30, so that the time is displayed by the dial 30 and the pointer 14. Can know. That is, the external light irradiated on the dial plate 30 passes through the display plate 32 of the dial plate 30 in the thickness direction and is irradiated on the light guide plate 31, and the irradiated light passes through the light guide plate 31 and its lower surface. The diffused and reflected light is transmitted again through the light guide plate 31 and the display plate 32 from the lower surface side to the upper surface side, so that the display plate 32 and the pointer 14 of the dial plate 30 are transmitted. You can know the time. At this time, the light transmitted through the light guide plate 31 is colored by the colorant 26 mixed in the light guide plate 31 as in the first embodiment, whereby the entire light guide plate 31 is surface-emitted with colored light. The display plate 32 and the pointer 14 can be illuminated with the colored light emitted from the surface.

  Further, when the light emitting element 21 of the dial 30 is caused to emit light in a dark place, the light of the light emitting element 21 enters the light guide plate 31 from its side surface and is guided in the surface direction. The light guide plate 31 is diffused and reflected in order by the reflecting plate 34 provided on the lower surface of the light guide plate, whereby the entire light guide plate 31 emits light toward the upper surface side. In addition to being able to illuminate, it is possible to illuminate the display plate 32 through the display plate 32 as well. Thereby, the time can be known by the display board 32 and the hands 14 even in a dark place. Also at this time, the light transmitted through the light guide plate 31 is colored by the colorant 26 mixed in the light guide plate 31, and the entire light guide plate 31 emits surface light with colored light. The display board 32 and the pointer 14 can be illuminated with colored light.

  Thus, according to this wristwatch, the light from the light emitting element 21 enters the light guide plate 31 from its side surface, the incident light is guided in the surface direction by the light guide plate 31, and the guided light is guided to the light guide plate. Since the light is diffusely reflected by the reflection plate 34 provided on the lower surface of the light 31 and emits surface light toward the upper surface side of the light guide plate 31, the display plate 32 disposed on the upper side of the light guide plate 31 can be illuminated by this surface light emission. In this way, the entire display panel 32 can be illuminated almost uniformly and brightly even in a dark place, so that the time can be known well and the surface of the light guide plate 31 can be obtained by the colorant 26 mixed in the light guide plate 31. Since the emitted light can be colored and the display panel 32 can be illuminated with colored light thus colored, it is possible to obtain a product with excellent color and decorative properties.

(Embodiment 4)
Next, a fourth embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a wristwatch will be described with reference to FIGS. Also in this case, the same portions as those in the first embodiment shown in FIGS.
This wrist watch has a structure in which the light guide plate 41 of the dial 40 illuminates both the lower surface side and the upper surface side, and has the same structure as that of the first embodiment except for this. In this case, the timepiece module 3 has both an analog function and a digital function, as in the first embodiment, and a dial 40 is provided on the upper surface of the upper housing 6 as shown in FIG. Further, an analog movement 9 and a liquid crystal display element 10 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the dial 40 includes a light emitting element 21 that is a light source, a light guide plate 41 that emits light from the light emitting element 21 from a side surface and guides the light in the surface direction to emit light, and the light guide plate 41. And a display panel 42 illuminated by surface light emission. In this case, the display plate 42 is formed of a transparent material and is disposed on the upper surface of the light guide plate 41. A time character (not shown) corresponding to 1 o'clock to 12 o'clock is provided on the peripheral portion of the upper or lower surface of the display plate 42, and an opening 42a is formed at a predetermined position of the display plate 42. It is provided corresponding to the display element 10.

  The light guide plate 41 is formed of a transparent material and transmits light in the thickness direction, that is, in the vertical direction. The light guide plate 41 takes light from the light emitting element 21 from the side surface and guides it in the surface direction to emit light. The light guide plate 41 is configured to illuminate both the upper surface side and the lower surface side of the light guide plate 41 with light. That is, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, a large number of line-shaped prisms 43 are arranged and arranged at locations corresponding to the liquid crystal display element 10 on the upper surface of the light guide plate 41. As in the first embodiment, these prisms 43 are provided substantially orthogonal to a diagonal line connecting the light emitting element 21 and the diagonal portion of the light guide plate 41 facing the light emitting element 21, that is, a straight line connecting 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock. Yes.

  Also in this case, the reflecting surface 43a of the prism 43 is provided toward the 12 o'clock side (the right side in the figure) where the light emitting element 21 is disposed, as shown in FIG. As a result, the prism 43 reflects the light, which is introduced and guided into the light guide plate 41 from the 12 o'clock side, toward the lower surface side of the light guide plate 41 by the reflecting surface 43a, thereby partially emitting the surface light. The display element 10 is configured to illuminate. Further, the prism 43 is formed so that the arrangement pitch gradually becomes narrower as the distance from the light emitting element 21, that is, the 12 o'clock side, so that the light from the light emitting element 21 is substantially uniform toward the lower surface side of the light guide plate 41. It is configured to radiate.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the light guide plate 41 is provided on a lower surface of the light guide plate 41 except for a portion where the reflection plate 44 diffusely reflects light corresponds to the liquid crystal display element 10, that is, an opening 42 a of the display plate 42. The reflection plate 44 takes in external light transmitted from the light guide plate 41 in the thickness direction, that is, from the upper surface side to the lower surface side, and the light from the light emitting element 21 from the side surface and guides it in the surface direction. The light is diffusely reflected to partially emit surface light, and the display plate 42 disposed on the upper surface of the light guide plate 31 is illuminated by the partial surface light emission.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the light guide plate 41 has a colorant 26 mixed therein. Similarly to the first embodiment, the colorant 26 is made of a pigment that reflects only colored light having a specific wavelength in the visible light region, and there are a plurality of types of pigments such as red, green, and blue. For this reason, also in this light guide plate 41, as the colorant 26, only one type of a plurality of types of pigments may be used to emit monochromatic colored light, and two or more types of pigments may be mixed. You may make it emit the colored light of the composite color which combined the several color.

  In such a wristwatch, when external light enters the wristwatch case 1 through the watch glass 2 in a bright place, the incident external light irradiates the pointer 14 and the dial plate 40, so that the dial plate is the same as in the first embodiment. The time can be known by 40 and the hand 14. That is, the external light applied to the dial plate 40 is transmitted through the display plate 42 of the dial plate 40 in the thickness direction and applied to the light guide plate 41, and the irradiated light is transmitted through the light guide plate 41 and the lower surface thereof. Since the light is diffused and reflected by the reflection plate 44 provided on the light guide plate and transmitted again from the lower surface side to the upper surface side through the light guide plate 41 and the display plate 42, the time can be known by the display plate 42 and the hands 14 of the dial 40. .

  At this time, since the external light is also applied to the opening 42a of the display plate 42, the external light passes through the opening 42a of the display plate 42 as it is and is applied to the liquid crystal display element 10. Therefore, the liquid crystal display element 10 As a result, information such as the time displayed on the liquid crystal display element 10 can also be visually recognized from the outside of the watch case 1 through the watch glass 2. Also in this case, since the colorant 26 is mixed in the light guide plate 41, similarly to the first embodiment, the light transmitted through the light guide plate 41 in the vertical direction is colored by the colorant 26, whereby the light guide plate 41 as a whole. The surface light is emitted with colored light that is colored, and the display panel 42 and the liquid crystal display element 10 can be illuminated with the colored light that is surface-emitted.

  Further, when the light emitting element 21 of the dial 40 is caused to emit light in a dark place, the light of the light emitting element 21 enters the light guide plate 41 from its side surface and is guided in the surface direction, and this guided light is guided to the light guide plate 41. Are reflected toward the lower surface side of the light guide plate 41, whereby a part of the light guide plate 41, that is, a portion corresponding to a region where a large number of prisms 43 are formed, emits surface light. Since the surface-emitting light is emitted to the lower surface side of the light guide plate 41, the liquid crystal display element 10 can be illuminated through the opening 42 a of the display plate 42.

  Further, when the light of the light emitting element 21 is guided in the surface direction by the light guide plate 41, the light is diffusely reflected by the reflection plate 44 provided on the lower surface of the light guide plate 41. A portion corresponding to the reflector 44 emits surface light, and the display plate 42 disposed on the upper side of the light guide plate 41 can be illuminated by this partial surface light emission. For this reason, information such as the time displayed on the liquid crystal display element 10 can be visually recognized even in a dark place, and the time can also be known from the display plate 42 and the hands 14. Also in this case, since the light in the light guide plate 41 is colored by the colorant 26 mixed in the light guide plate 41, the entire light guide plate 41 emits surface light with colored light, and the display light is emitted by the colored light emitted from the surface light. 42 and the liquid crystal display element 10 can be illuminated.

  Thus, according to this wristwatch, the prism 43 is provided corresponding to the liquid crystal display element 10 on a part of the upper surface of the light guide plate 41, and the reflection plate 44 is provided on the lower surface of the light guide plate 41 not corresponding thereto. Therefore, when the light of the light emitting element 21 is guided in the surface direction by the light guide plate 41, the light can be partially emitted toward the lower surface side of the light guide plate 41 by the prism 43. Surface light emission can be partially performed toward the upper surface side of the light guide plate 41. Accordingly, the liquid crystal display element 10 disposed below the light guide plate 41 can be illuminated by partial surface light emission by the prism 43 and at the upper side of the light guide plate 41 by partial surface light emission by the reflection plate 44. The arranged display board 42 can be illuminated.

  For this reason, even if the liquid crystal display element 10 that is the first display panel is disposed on the lower surface side of the light guide plate 41, or the display plate 42 that is the second display panel is disposed on the upper surface side of the light guide plate 41, Both can be illuminated brightly. Also in this case, the light emitted from the light guide plate 41 by the colorant 26 mixed in the light guide plate 41 can be colored, and the display plate 23 and the liquid crystal display element 10 are colored with the colored light. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a product excellent in color and decoration.

  In the fourth embodiment, the case where the reflecting surface 43a of the linear prism 43 formed on the upper surface of the light guide plate 41 is provided toward the 12 o'clock side where the light emitting element 21 is disposed is described. For example, as in the second embodiment, the reflecting surface of the prism may be provided toward the 6 o'clock side opposite to the 12 o'clock side where the light emitting element 21 is disposed. In this case, a side reflecting portion may be provided on the side surface of the light guide plate 41 that reaches from 4 o'clock to 6 o'clock through 8 o'clock. If it does in this way, like Embodiment 2, the light from light emitting element 21 will be guided to the surface direction by a light guide plate, this guided light will be reflected by a side reflection part, and this reflected light will be turned to the undersurface side. Since it can reflect, there exists an effect similar to Embodiment 4. FIG.

(Embodiment 5)
Next, a fifth embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a wristwatch will be described with reference to FIGS. Also in this case, the same portions as those in the first embodiment shown in FIGS.
In this wristwatch, a linear prism 52 is provided over the entire upper surface of the light guide plate 51 of the dial 50, and the light guided from the light emitting element 21 to the light guide plate 51 by the prism 52 is directed to the lower surface side. In addition to illuminating the display plate 53 by reflecting the light toward the surface and illuminating the display plate 53, different colorants 54 and 55 that color light into different colors are separately mixed at predetermined locations of the light guide plate 51. The rest of the structure is almost the same as that of the first embodiment.

  In this case, the timepiece module 3 has a structure having only an analog function as in the third embodiment. Further, the display plate 53 of the dial plate 50 is made of metal or synthetic resin and is disposed on the lower surface of the light guide plate 51. A time character 56 from 1 o'clock to 12 o'clock is provided on the peripheral portion on the upper surface of the display plate 53, and between the pointer shaft 12 located at the center of the display plate 53 and the time character 56 at 6 o'clock. A mark portion 57 such as a symbol, a figure, or a pattern is provided at a position located at. The light guide plate 51 is configured so that light from the light emitting element 21 is incident from the side surface, the incident light is guided in the surface direction, and the guided light is reflected toward the lower surface side by a large number of prisms 52. Has been.

  That is, as in the first embodiment, a large number of prisms 52 are provided so as to be substantially orthogonal to the straight line connecting 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock, so that the light guided into the light guide plate 51 from the 12 o'clock side is guided. Is reflected toward the lower surface side of the light guide plate 22 by the reflecting surface 52a. Also in this case, the prisms 52 are formed so that the arrangement pitch gradually becomes narrower as the distance from the light emitting element 21, that is, the 12 o'clock side, so that the light from the light emitting element 21 is almost directed toward the lower surface side of the light guide plate 51. It is configured to emit uniformly.

  The colorants 54 and 55 mixed in the light guide plate 51 are any of a plurality of types such as red, green, and blue, and are mixed separately at predetermined locations on the light guide plate 51. . For example, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 16, the colorant 54 is made of a pigment that colors light in green, and is mixed in the light guide plate 51 at a location corresponding to the time character 56 of the display plate 53. The agent 55 is made of a pigment that colors light in red, and is mixed in a portion corresponding to the mark portion 57 of the display plate 53 in the light guide plate 51.

  In such a wristwatch, when external light enters the wristwatch case 1 through the watch glass 2 in a bright place, the incident external light is applied to the pointer 14 and the dial plate 50. The time can be known by 50 and the hand 14. That is, the external light applied to the dial plate 50 is transmitted through the light guide plate 51 and applied to the display plate 53. The irradiated light is reflected by the display plate 53, and the light guide plate 41 is again moved from the lower surface side to the upper surface side. Therefore, the time can be known by the display board 53 and the hands 14. At this time, since the colorants 54 and 55 are mixed in the light guide plate 51, the light transmitted through the light guide plate 51 is colored in different colors by the colorants 54 and 55, thereby corresponding to the time character 56. The part emits light in green, and the part corresponding to the mark portion 57 emits red light.

  Further, when the light emitting element 21 of the dial plate 50 is caused to emit light in a dark place, the light of the light emitting element 21 enters the light guide plate 51 from its side surface and is guided in the surface direction, and the guided light is guided to the light guide plate 51. Are reflected toward the lower surface side of the light guide plate 51, whereby the entire light guide plate 41 emits surface light, and the display plate 53 can be illuminated by this surface light emission. For this reason, even in a dark place, the time can be known by the display board 53 and the hands 14. Also in this case, the light transmitted through the light guide plate 51 is colored in different colors by the colorants 54 and 55 mixed in the light guide plate 51, so that the portion corresponding to the time character 56 emits green light. A portion corresponding to the portion 57 emits red light.

  Thus, according to this wristwatch, the colorant 54 that colors light in green is mixed into the light guide plate 51 corresponding to the time character 56 of the display plate 53, and the portion corresponding to the mark portion 57 of the display plate 53. Since the colorant 55 for coloring the light in red is mixed in, the portion corresponding to the time character 56 of the display board 53 can be made to emit green light by the colorant 54 and the mark or figure of the display board 53 is marked. The portion corresponding to the portion 57 can be made to emit red light by the colorant 55, so that it is possible to further improve the color and the decorativeness as compared with the first embodiment.

  In the fifth embodiment, the colorant 54 that colors light in green is mixed in the light guide plate 51 corresponding to the time character 56 of the display plate 53, and the light corresponding to the mark portion 57 of the display plate 53 is mixed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the colorant that colors light in red, green, or blue, or the colorant, is not limited to this. A plurality of types of colorants that color the combined composite color may be mixed, and a colorant that colors light in red, green, or blue at a location corresponding to the mark portion 57 of the display panel 53, or A plurality of kinds of colorants for coloring a composite color combining them may be mixed.

  In the fifth embodiment, the prism 52 is provided on the entire upper surface of the light guide plate 51, and the display plate 53 is disposed on the lower surface of the light guide plate 51. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a reflector is provided on the lower surface of the light guide plate. In addition, a structure in which a light-transmitting display plate is disposed on the upper surface of the light guide plate may be used, and a prism is partially provided on the upper surface of the light guide plate, and a reflector is provided on the lower surface of the light guide plate so as not to correspond to the prism Structure may be sufficient. Any of these structures has the same effects as those of the fifth embodiment.

Furthermore, in Embodiments 3 to 4, the reflection plates 34 and 44 that diffusely reflect light are provided on the lower surfaces of the light guide plates 31 and 41. However, the reflection plates 34 and 44 do not necessarily have to be reflection plates, and are guided in the surface direction of the light guide plate. A structure in which an uneven reflecting portion that diffuses and reflects light toward the upper surface side is formed on the lower surface of the light guide plate may be used.
In addition, in the first to fifth embodiments and the modifications thereof, the case where the present invention is applied to a wristwatch has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It can be widely applied to electronic devices such as personal computers.

1 is a partially cutaway front view of the present invention applied to a wristwatch. (Embodiment 1) It is sectional drawing in the AA arrow of FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing the liquid crystal display element of FIG. 2. It is the enlarged view which showed the optical path state of the dial of FIG. It is a front view of the timepiece module to which this invention is applied. (Embodiment 2) It is sectional drawing in the BB arrow of FIG. It is the enlarged view which showed the optical path state of the dial plate of FIG. It is a front view of the timepiece module to which this invention is applied. (Embodiment 3) It is sectional drawing in CC arrow of FIG. It is the enlarged view which showed the optical path state of the dial of FIG. It is a front view of the timepiece module to which this invention is applied. (Embodiment 4) It is sectional drawing in the DD arrow of FIG. It is the enlarged view which showed the optical path state of the dial of FIG. It is a front view of the timepiece module to which this invention is applied. (Embodiment 5) It is sectional drawing in the EE arrow of FIG. It is the enlarged view which showed the optical path state of the dial of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Watch case 2 Watch glass 3 Watch module 8, 30, 40, 50 Dial 10 Liquid crystal display element 14 Pointer 21 Light emitting element 22, 31, 41, 51 Light guide plate 23, 32, 42, 53 Display board 25, 27, 43 , 52 Prism 26, 54, 55 Colorant 28 Side reflector 34, 44 Reflector 56 Time character 57 Mark

Claims (6)

A light source, a light guide plate that makes light from the light source incident from a side surface and guides the light in a surface direction to emit light, and a display member that is illuminated by the surface light emission of the light guide plate,
A timepiece dial comprising a colorant mixed in the light guide plate. The light guide plate is light transmissive in the thickness direction, and a linear prism having a reflection surface on the upper surface of the light guide plate for reflecting light guided in the surface direction toward the lower surface side of the light guide plate. Is formed,
The timepiece dial according to claim 1, wherein the display member is disposed on a lower surface side of the light guide plate.   The light guide plate is light transmissive in the thickness direction, a reflective layer is provided on the lower surface of the light guide plate, and the display member is light transmissive and disposed on the upper surface of the light guide plate. The timepiece dial according to claim 1. The light guide plate is light transmissive in the thickness direction thereof, and a line having a reflection surface for reflecting light guided in the surface direction toward a lower surface side of the light guide plate in a part of the upper surface of the light guide plate. A plurality of prisms are formed, and the lower surface of the light guide plate is provided with a reflective layer except for portions corresponding to the many prisms,
The display member includes a first display panel disposed on the lower surface side of the light guide plate corresponding to the plurality of prisms, and light disposed on the upper surface of the light guide plate except for portions corresponding to the plurality of prisms. The timepiece dial according to claim 1, further comprising a second display panel having transparency.   The colorant comprises a plurality of types for coloring light incident on the light guide plate into different colors, and different color types are mixed in a plurality of locations of the light guide plate, respectively. 4. The timepiece dial according to any one of 4 above. A light source;
A light guide plate that makes light from the light source incident from the side surface and guides the light in the surface direction to emit light;
A display member illuminated by the surface emission of the light guide plate;
The display member, the electronic device body provided with the light source and the light guide plate,
An electronic apparatus comprising a colorant mixed in the light guide plate.

Images